out in Florence. And keep this dinner as short as possible.
âThen you should order the Margherita. Itâs pretty basic. Just tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil.â
âThat sounds good.â
âYouâre going to love the food here. Pizza here is in a whole different category from the stuff back home.â
I set my menu down. âWhy?â
âItâs really thin and you get your own large pizza. And fresh mozzarella . . .â He sighed. âThereâs nothing like it.â
He honestly had a dreamy look in his eyes. Did my more-than-a-friend love for food come from him? I hesitated. I guess it would be a good idea to at least sort of get to know him. He was my father after all.
âSo . . . whereâs âback homeâ?â
âI grew up in a small town in South Carolina called Due West, if you can believe it. Itâs about a hundred and fifty miles from Adrienne.â
âIs Due West where you rearranged all the traffic barricades and caused a traffic jam?â
He looked at me in surprise. âYour mom told you?â
âYeah. She told me lots of stories about you.â
He chuckled. âThere wasnât a lot to do in Due West, and unfortunately, I made the whole town pay for it. What other stories did she tell you?â
âShe said you used to play hockey and that even though youâre pretty even-tempered, you used to get in fights on the ice.â
âProof.â He turned his head and ran his finger across a scar that disappeared under his jawline. âThis was one of my last games. I couldnât seem to keep it under control. What else?â
âYou guys went to Rome and the owner of a restaurant thought you were a famous basketball player and you guys got a free meal.â
âI forgot about that! Best lamb I ever had. And all I had to do was take pictures with the kitchen staff.â
Our server came over and took our order, then filled our glasses with fizzy water. I took a big swig and shuddered. Was it just me, or did carbonated water feel like liquid sparklers?
Howard crossed his arms. âForgive me for stating the obvious, but I canât believe how much you look like Hadley. Did people tell you that all the time?â
âYeah. People sometimes thought we were sisters.â
âThat doesnât surprise me. You even have her hands.â My elbows were resting on the table, one arm crossed over the other, and Howard suddenly jerked forward a couple of inches, like heâd gotten snagged on a fishing hook.
He was staring at my ring.
I shifted uncomfortably. âUm, are you okay?â
âHer ring.â He reached out and almost touched it, his hand hovering an inch above mine. It was an antique, a slim gold band engraved with an intricate scrolling pattern. My mom had worn it until sheâd gotten too thin to keep it on. Iâd been wearing it ever since.
âDid she tell you I gave her that?â
âNo.â I pulled my hand to my lap, my face heating up. Had she told me anything ? âWas it like an engagement ring or something?â
âNo. Just a present.â
There was another long silence, which I filled with unprecedented interest in the restaurantâs décor. There were signed photographs of what were probably very famous Italian celebrities hanging all around the restaurant, and several aprons had been tacked to the wall. âWe All Live in a Yellow Submarineâ was playing overhead. My cheeks were boiling like a pot of marinara sauce.
Howard shook his head. âSo do you have a boyfriend at home who is missing you?â
âNo.â
âGood for you. Plenty of time to break hearts when youâre older.â He hesitated. âThis morning I was thinking I should make a call to the international school to see if anyone in your grade is around for the summer. It might be a good way to see if youâre interested in